Mouse-trap.



J.T.McARDLL MOUSE TRAP.

" APPLICATION FILED MAY 13, |914.

. Patented Aug- ].0,

i i7 l I /6 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFTCE.

JOHN THOMAS MCARDLE, OF SANDWICH, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR, BY DIRECT ANDMESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF ONE-.FOURTH TO yJOHN' W. DALTON, OF SANDWICH, MAS-SACHUSETTS, AND ONE-FOURTH TO BENJAMIN F. GIBIBY, OF BOSTON, MASSACHU-SETTS.

MOUSE-TRAP.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patentedauf.; 1o, i915.

Application filed May 13, 1914. Serial No. 838,360.

TQ all 'whom it may concern j Be it known that I, JOHN T. MGARDLE, avcitizen of the United States, residing at Sandwich, county ofBarnstable, Commonwealth of Massachusetts, have invented certain `newand useful Improvements in Mouse-Traps, of .which the following is a`specification.

This invention relates to animal traps and particularly to a selfsetting and ever set mouse trap. Traps of this class are wellV known andconsist usually of a tilting platform adapted to lower under the weightof the mouse lured out to the end of the platform by the bait to dropthe mouse into a cagey or receptacle filled with water.

My present invention relates to this type of traps and has for itsgeneral object to simplify and cheapen the construction of such traps sothat they may be produced at minimum cost.

More particularly my invention aims to provide a trap which can bemailed at in an envelop and which can bey easily and quickly attached toa shelf or other support by simply driving one end of the bait hook intothe support, thus avoiding the use of extra screws or similar fasteningsand enabling thetrap to be set up or removed in a short time and withvery little trouble. The possibility of a flat envelop pack is of greatimportance as it makes possible the sending of the trap together withliterature as is so greatly desired in those States in which campaignshave been started to de crease the number of cats as a means ofprotecting the bird life of the community. The bait hook of my inventionin addition to securing the trap to the support also acts as a stop tolimit the upward tilt of the hinged platform and assists toautomatically return the platform to set position.

The construction and operation of my invention will be more fullydisclosed in the specification which follows.

In the drawings forming a part of that specification I have shown as anillustrative embodiment a form of trap which has proven satisfactory inpractical use and capable of commercial production at a very low cost.

Throughout specification and drawings, like reference numerals arecorrespondingly applied and in .these drawings: Figure l is a plan viewof a trap in accordance with my invention. Fig. 2 is a longitudinalsection thereof indicating in dotted lines the position which thetilting platform assumes when depressed by the weight of a mouse, andFig. 3 is a detail view of the bait hook of my invention detached.

I have indicated at l a support to which my trap may be fastened. Thesupport may be a shelf or any other convenient structure.

The trap proper consists of a base member 2 and a tilting platform 3hinged to the base Q by any suitable hinge 4l and normally balanced inset position. The base member 2 has a hole near its inner end to receivethe vertical pin end 5 of a bait hook 6 which overlies the tiltingplatform and projects well beyond the hinge 4. The pin end 5 secures thetrap to the support. The inner end of the tilting platform is cut out asindicated at 7 to permit this end to swing up when the opposite end istilted downwardly by the mouse. The upward swing of the platform islimited and stopped by the horizontal shank 'or arm 6 of the bait hook.The rebound of the platform together with its own overweight at itsinner end will return it to set position. The other end of the bait hookterminates in a barb 8 adapted to receive a suitable bait 9. The shank 6is ofv a length suflicient to position the bait'9 well beyond the hingefi of the platform so that the mouse must walk out on the platform pastthe hinge to reach the bait. Then the mouse passes the hinge, theequilibrium of the platform is destroyed and the platform tilts on itspivot. The outer end swings down very fast and projects the mouse into areceptacle 10 filled with water and placed beneath this end of theplatform. Instead of a receptacle lilled with water, a cage or othersuitable receptacle may be used. The inner end of the platform tilts upuntil it strikes the arm 6 of the bait hook. The arm limits the upwardswing and tends to return the platform automatically to set position.

In use the' trap is set up on a shelf or other support by simply drivingthe pin end 5 of the bait hook through the hole in the base member andinto the support. This projects the outer end of the tilting platformwell beyond the edge of the support so that it will lower under theweight of the mouse and positions the bait 9 beyond the hinge 4 of theplatform. The platform is now balanced in set position and operates asbefore described to tilt and return to set position.

Various modifications in the form and construction of my device mayobviously be resorted to within the limits of the appended claims.

`What I therefore claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. ln a trap of the class described a support, a base member thereon, atilting member hingedly connected with said base member, and a bait hookoverlying said members and terminating well beyond the hinge connectionand having a pin end ixing the base member to the support.

2. In a trap of the class described, a support, a base member on saidsupport, a tilting member hinged to said base member and having itsinnerl end bifurcated, a bait hook having an end adapted to secure thebase member to the support and having a barbed arm so positionedrelative to the cut out portion of the tilting member as to permit themember to tilt freely a limited distance, said arm acting as a stop tolimit the upward swing of the tilting member and to automatically returnsaid member to set position.

3. A trap of the class described comprising a flat base member, a Hattilting member hinged between its end to one end of said base member, abait support having a bent pointed iXing end, and a bent bait hook onsaid support, said bends lying all in the lElaine plane whereby saidtrap may be packed 4;. A trap of the class described comprising a flatbase member, a flat tilting member hinged between its ends to one end ofsaid base member, and a bait support having a bent pointed fixing end,and having a bent bait hook, at its opposite end, said bends lying allin the same plane whereby said trap may be packed flat.

5. In an animal trap, a support, a member having a tilting portion andan attaching portion, and a bait carrying member having an end arrangedto penetrate said attaching portion and detachably pin Said portion tosaid support.

6. In an animal trap, a support, a member having a tilting portion andan attaching portion, and a bait carrying member having an end arrangedto penetrate said attaching portion and detachably pin said portion tosaid support and having a bait supporting arm effectively disposed tolimit the movement of the tilting portion in one direction.

7. In an animal trap, a support, a fixed base member and a balancedmovable member, and a bait carrying member arranged to penetrate saidbase member and detachably pin it to the support and effectivelydisposed to limit the movement of the balanced member in one direction.

8. In an animal trap, a support, a base member, a tilting member hingedthereto, and having a slot at one end, and a bait carrying member havingan end fixing said base member to the support and a barbed armeffectively disposed relative to said slot to permit a limited movementof the tilting member in one direction before stopping said member.

ln testimony whereof I afliX my signa.- ture in presence of twowitnesses.

JOHN THOMAS MCARDLE.

Witnesses:

JOHN W. DALToN, GEORGE L. MCCANN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C.

